Loom harness



A\"g12l941v J. J. KAUFMANN A v 2,252,184

' Y. LOOM HARNESS i Filed Deo. l 1e, 1939 @d y Hl Il MHH HHIHHHH] 10 W4', 7 U

Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LooM HARNESS John Jacob Kaufmann, Elkins Park, Pa., assigner to `Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 16, 1939, seria1No.309,545 toning. (01139-91) This invention relates to loom harness and more particularly to harness having means for facilitating the separation of the heddles by automatic mechanical means, such, for example, as warp drawing-in mechanism, by means of which the warp ends are drawn through the eyes of the heddles. Y

Heretofore, helical springs have been employed in connection with loom harness in which the warp was to be drawn in by means of a drawing-in machine, in the successive convolutions of which springs the heddles are individually disposed. kThese coil springs are operated upon by the selector lworm of the drawing-in machine to bring the eyes of the heddles successively to the proper position in alinement with the needle or hook of the drawing-in machine.

However, the mounting of the coil springs in the harness entails considerable expenditure of time and labor, and consequently in some instances the coil springs are left in the harness when the same is mounted in the loom, but at such position therein as will not interfere-with the proper shedding of the warp in the loom during the weaving operations.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide loom harness in which the heddles are made of thin iiat strips of metal or Wire having means for facilitating the mounting therein of the coil spring used in the warp drawing-in operation, and for maintaining said coil spring in such position in the harness as not to interfere with `the proper shedding of the warp during the weaving, yet being so constructed `and arranged as to permit the coilspring to be readily brought into position adjacent the warp eyes when a warp is to be .entered in an automatic warp drawing-in machine.

The nature and characteristic `features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following Vdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which: i

Figure l is la iront elevation of a portion of a loom harness embodying the mainfeatures of the present invention, and in which the coil spring, used for effecting the separation and positioning of the warp eyes in a warp drawing-in machine, is shown in position adjacent the warp eyes to facilitate the drawing-in of the warp;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but with coil spring located in the harness in the position occupied by the same during the weaving operation;

Fig. 3 is Va .side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2; and Y Y C spacing the heddles.

Fig. 4 `is an enlarged detail view of the upper portion of 'the harness as shown vin Fig, 2.

wIt` will, `of course, be understood that the description and drawing herein contained are illustrative merely, and that various changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, in the particular embodiment of the invention therein shown, lil and II are the usual heddle supporting rods which, as is well known to those skilled in the art, are mounted in suitable frames of any preferred construction.

The heddles I2 are made from thin iiat strips of metal or wire having mortises I3 and I4 adjacent their respective ends for mounting the same on the supporting rods Ill-and II. Each of the heedles I2 is also provided with a warp eye I5, the preferred location of which will be hereinafter set forth. The Amortises I3 and I4 and the warpV eyes I5 are formed in the heddles in the usual and customary manner. The harness is Ialso provided with means for The preferred spacing means, as shown in the drawing, comprises the provision in each alternate heddle of an offset out of the main plane of the heddle in an elongated SV-,shaped conformation, the other alternate heddle being flat `at this portion, so that when the heddles are closely assembled in the frame, the oiset portions will serve to spacethe heddles equally. This arrangement is provided, as at I1, near the top adjacent the mortises I3 for mounting the upper ends of the heddles I2 on the supporting rod III, and-preferably also near the bottom, as at I8, adjacent the mortises I4 for mounting the lower ends of the heddles on the supporting rod I I.

There is also provided an additional set of spacingoisets I9 located a sufficient distance from the upper set of offsets Il to permit the insertion of the coil spring 20 which is employed for the purpose of assisting the selector worm of the 7 drawing-in machine in bringing the warp eyes I5 of the individual heddles to the proper positionV for the passage therethrough of the drawing-inor entering needle or hook.

The set of spacing offsets I9 is also of an elongated S-shape, having a portion extending on each side from the main plane of the heddle to coact with the flat portions of the adjacent alternate heddles at this point. Also, where the end portions of the S-shaped offset join the adjacent straight portions `of the heddle, the

same extend in slight curvatures thus avoiding any sharp corners, for a reason presently to be explained.

A loom harness constructed as above described will greatly facilitate the various operations in connection with the entering or drawing-in of the warp. It will, of course, be understood that even when the coil spring 20 is not employed, the equally spaced straight portions 2l extending between the set of offsets ll yand the set of offsets I9 will greatly facilitate the manual selection of the heddles where the entering is done by hand.

However, the invention finds its greater usefulness in the employment of the coil spring 20 which permits the warp to be entered or drawn in by an automatic machine. When the coil spring 20 is employed, the accurate spacing of the straight portions 2| between the offsets l1 and the offsets I9 permits the ready positioning of the coil spring 20 with respect to the heddles I2, as the successive convolutions of the spring 20 may thereby be more easily brought into engagement with the individual heddles at this point, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing.

When the warp is to be entered by means of a drawing-in machine, the coil spring 2li may readily be shifted downwardly on the heddles, the peculiar formation of the spacing devices I9 permitting the spring 2D to pass without too much obstruction. The spring 2l] is brought to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, adjacent the warp eyes l5, so that the selector worm of the drawing-in machine may operate thereon and bring the warp eyes I5 of the heddles l2 successively to the operative position for entering the warp therein.

After the warp has been entered, the coil spring 20 is then pushed upwardly and returned to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, and said spring 2D normally will be held at this position during the operation of the harness in the loom by reason of the offsets I9 offering sufcient resistance against the downward movement of the coil sprmg 20 to retain the same during the shedding operations.

It should also be understood that the Warp eyes l5, instead of being located midway between the mortises for mounting the heddles l2 on the supporting rods, are in the present instance preferably located substantially midway between the lower set of oisets Il and the set of offsets I 9 which serve to retain the coil spring 20 in the raised position above the shed line of the harness during the operation in the loom. By this arrangement, the largest possible shed opening may be obtained without fouling the warp on either set of the offsets.

I claim:

A 1. Loom harness having upper and lower heddle supporting rods, iiat metallic heddles mounted thereon, means for spacing said heddles comprising the provision on alternate heddles, adjacent the upper supporting rod, of offsets extending out of the main plane of the heddle on each side thereof, an additional set of similar oiTsets below the upper set, and a coil spring in the successive convolutions of which the heddles are individually disposed. and said coil spring being movable to a position adjacent the warp eyes of the heddles for entering the warp in said eyes, the oisets in the heddles each being of the conformation of an elongated S with its ends curving into straight portions of the heddle, and

the lower set of said offsets being spaced from the upper set a suiiicient distance to receive the coil spring therebetween and normally retain the coil spring above the upper shed line of the harness.

2. Loom harness having upper and lower heddle supporting rods, flat steel heddles mounted thereon, means for spacing said heddles comprising the provision on alternate heddles, adjacent the upper supporting rod, of offsets extending out of the main plane of the heddle on each side thereof, an additional set of similar offsets below the upper set, and a coil spring in the successive convolutions of which the heddles are individually disposed, said coil spring being adapted for use in the selector mechanism of a warp drawing-in machine, and said coil spring being movable to a position adjacent the Warp eyesof the heddles for entering the warp in said eyes, the oifsets in the heddles each being of the conformation of an elongated S with its ends curving into straight portions of the heddle, and the lower set of said offsets being spaced from the upper set a sufficient distance to receive the coil` spring therebetween and normally retain the coil spring above the upper shedvline of the harness.

3. Loom harness having upper and lower heddle supporting rods, flat metallic heddles mounted thereon, means for spacing said heddles comprising the provision on alternate heddles, adjacent the upper and lower supporting rods, of offsets extending out of the main plane of the heddle on each side thereof, an additional set of similar` offsets below the upper set, and a coil spring in the successive convolutions of which the heddles are individually disposed, and said coil spring being movable to a position adjacent the warp eyes of the heddles for entering the warp in said eyes, and the said additional set of offsets being spaced from the upper set a suiicient distance to receive the coil spring therebetween and normally retain said coil spring above the upper shed line of the harness.

4. Loom harness having upper and lower heddle supporting rods, ilat metallic heddles mounted thereon, means for spacing said heddles oomprising the provision on alternate heddles, adjacent the upper and lower supporting rods, of oiisets extending out of the main plane of the heddle on each side thereof, anadditional set of similar offsets below the upper set, and a coil spring in the successive convolutions of which the heddles are individually disposed, said coil spring being adapted for use in the selector mechanism of a warp drawing-in machine and being movable to a position adjacent the warp eyes of the heddles for entering the warp in said eyes, and the said additional set of offsets being spaced from the upper set a sufficient distance to receive the coil spring therebetween and normally retain said coil spring above the upper shed line of the harness.

5. Loom harness having upper and lower heddle supporting rods, flat metallic heddles mounted thereon, means for spacing said heddles comprising the provision on alternate heddles, adjacent the upper and lower supporting rods, of oifsets extending out of the main plane of the heddle on each side thereof, an additional set of oisets below the upper set, and a coil spring in the successive convolutions of which the heddles are individually disposed, said coil spring being adapted for use in the selector mechanism of a warp drawing-in machine and being harness, and the warp eyes being located in the heddles substantially midway between the set of offsets adjacent the lower supporting rod and the aforesaid additional set of offsets.

JOHN JACOB KAUFMANN. 

